~ Life & Real Estate

Category Archives: Home Buyer Advice

Good gravy, have our manners all but disappeared under the force of the almighty dollar?

There is so much greed in this world and I can’t help but notice it more and more these days. Friends, I use the term loosely, will easily turn on you just to make another buck. Some companies are making more than ever, but they’re squirreling it away instead of using it to better their service to the consumer. Regular, everyday people don’t respond to anything or anyone unless it’s going to make them money. There’s no more true conversations about making the world better or bettering ourselves, they’re more about what someone can get from you. I’ll have coffee with you, but only if it doesn’t cost me anything and I’m going to make money from it in the long run. It’s really disappointing.

Let’s use a cell phone provider as an example. Remember the good old days when your loyalty meant that you’d get a ‘deal’ on a new phone every couple of years? Not anymore. The only time you get to win with them is when you leave one company to sign up with another one. Cell phone providers aren’t the exception, they’re the NORM. The longer the loyalty, the more we know we can gauge them for more because we’ve now grown into addiction.

It’s hard to believe the greed has gone this far. It’s always been there, but for everyone to suddenly start skirting their morals and values just to add to their piles of cash, takes this trend to another level.

Well, in the words of the incredibly hilarious Heather Land, “I ain’t doin it.” You can count me out. I’m going to stick to my values, with being a true friend and trying to make the world a better place. If that doesn’t make me rich, so be it.

As my anniversary of the beginning of my career in real estate passes by quietly this month, I reflect on how I’ve grown in the past year. Sweet #16

There’s a lot to be said for stopping to assess yourself and take a look at what’s gone right and what hasn’t. This year, I’m happy to have learned more about my strengths as well as my weaknesses. I used to fear my weaknesses, but for some reason, I’ve been able to look at them this year and challenge them. Questions I’ve asked myself have been:

What do you really love about your work?

If you were an employer, why would you hire you?

If you could overcome that one thing, what would happen?

What kind of income are you looking for? Why?

What habits make you have your best day?

Is there something in your personality/mindset that needs adjustment?

What do you love about yourself?

Is there something you feel like you’re the BEST at doing?

After really digging deep and answering these, it was easy to find out several things that could really help me become a better version of myself. Now, I’ll admit, there’s still a long way to go and always will be. Continued assessment and improvement are necessary for anyone looking to grow.

I’ve happily decided there’s a lot of things I can let go of and really just forget about. For instance, being the most proper person in the room. This is a tough one for me. I’ve always tried to keep Miss Manners top of mind in every social situation. What I’ve found as I have allowed myself to slip a little bit, is that nobody cares. Hear me? Nobody Cares. If you decline the dessert or leave early. It just doesn’t matter as much as one would think. There is no longer a need for me to feel like I have to be absolutely perfect 100% of the time. And, if someone does take issue with that, are they a friend or foe? Do I really need to impress that person?

One of my newest, favorite discoveries is Audible. In my opinion, it’s worth every penny to be able to listen to books in the car. Now that I’m running two offices (Liberty and Lee’s Summit), I have a ton of time to listen to books in the car. It’s a great way to get through that stack of business books I’ve been wanting to read for inspiration, but haven’t gotten around to.

Another great thing is realizing that being authentic or genuine is now more widely accepted and appreciated than “fake” ever was. I truly love being a broker to some of the most professional, knowledgeable agents in the area. It’s okay for me to love my people and tell them regularly. It’s what makes me…me.

Ahh, Oregon. The land where the mountains meet the sea, hazelnuts can be seen for miles, and everything grows abundantly, including grass seed.

How could I possibly learn more after last year? Wasn’t it all just a repeat of the same facts? I can tell you, I was worried about being bored with the information this trip. I was so glad I jumped at the opportunity to help Josh represent Williams Lawn Seed, because, once again, I was blown away.

After a slight error in judgement at the rental car counter (who knew a Mazda 5 would be a minivan?), Josh and I were on our way to Corvallis, Oregon. We spent a few days there and got in a trip to the coast (Yaquina Head, Newport, Foulweather, South Beach), a visit with our son, and an incredible field day with Dr. Leah Brilman, a leader in seed research, and the team at PickSeed.

Dr. Leah showed us around her research farm. This was the first of many times on the trip where the phrase “genetic purity” came up. All the researchers in Oregon have chosen to strategically locate in areas where there’s less chance of pollination from other types of grasses. This helps ensure the data is true and helps the researchers guarantee genetic purity throughout.

Dr. Leah also showed us a plot of tall fescue where the endophytes actually repel geese at a certain height. This tall fescue is part of a worldwide initiative called Clear Sky, to be planted near airports. Another research plot contained Bracco, which is a high nitrogen green manure that helps with nematode and weed suppression. What? Basically, it looks like a big weed with yellow flowers. It can grow in about 3 weeks then be tilled into the soil, where it will ‘clean’ the field. So, let’s take a sod farmer for example. He has a field where he’s been having trouble with weeds for a while. No matter how many chemicals he treats it with, the weeds just won’t clear away. Enter the new Bracco tilling. Plant the seeds, let them grow to the right height, till into the soil, cover with water and, presto, the field can be replanted and will/should be weed free. It’s only a five week commitment altogether for the farmer, which makes this a very desirable new treatment. Plus, it’s totally green. Who doesn’t love that?

Last year, we took a look at the DIA (digital imaging analysis) machine used to study turf plots. This year, drones are being studied as a more efficient way to collect those digital images to be studied. The images are being examined against the current DIA, so it can be perfected for regular use at the farms and facilities. Researchers study 811,000 data points to compare turf. So, when the bag says “low maintenance or draught tolerant” you can rest assured that wasn’t haphazardly stamped on the bag.

Bioprime is also a new vitamin pack that’s being tested for turf. It’s a fine dust/mist that’s hydrostatically applied to seeds to help overall performance. I’m sure everyone has seen the coated seeds that have been out for a number of years. The difference between the two is basically size and weight. If you coat something, it becomes twice or three times the original size, which means you’re getting less actual seed in the bag for your money. Sure, it’s supposed to guarantee better performance, but at the end of the day, you’ll likely need two bags of seed to cover the area. Bioprime is able to offer much of the same benefit while giving the consumer more seed in the bag, since it only takes up .0016% of the space. Incredible!

As a side note, Corvallis is a beautiful city, home to the stately University of Oregon campus, a restaurant and entertainment area along the river and a magnificent park with a colorful rose garden and hiking/biking trails. I’m so glad we got to see it and I’m happy that Mary’s Peak beckoned us to come visit on Friday. What a view!

Wednesday took us to the TWCA (turfgrass water conservation alliance) conference at NexGen. Much like last year, so much important work is going into making turf more draught tolerant and resistant. Water, or the lack of it, is a huge topic on the west coast, especially in California. Most Californians have resorted to hardscaping their yards with rock instead of turf. What’s the big deal? Well, let’s consider how much cool air and oxygen is created from one city lawn. Rock hardscapes actually make the air hotter by 20+ degrees. If everyone in the world stopped having lawns and went to rock, we’d really be talking about global warming. So, the researchers at NexGen are putting their cultivars under a lot of draught stress and heat stress to test them. I know I wasn’t going to survive learning about it in that hot greenhouse for another minute, let alone weeks. Hopefully, the future will bring more green lawns to areas of north America under stress.

How do you limit how much water the plots of grass are getting out in the field? Check out this watering box. Measure, box and pour. So simple, but genius at the same time. I always love being barefoot on NexGen’s lawn. So soft!

By this point, we were tired and hot, but worked in a visit with one of the smartest, most down to earth farmers in the valley. Not only did he take the time to show us around his research area, he insisted we visit his favorite spot to take a break by the river. Oh my. I’d never get any work done. This was so relaxing and enjoyable after a long day of learning, we could’ve stayed much, much longer, but it was time to move forward with more plans.

Thursday morning was freezing cold and rainy, but I did manage to gather a few bits of info while my teeth were chattering. Finally, I experienced the weird Oregon weather everyone always talks about. One day we’re sweating in a field and the next we’re freezing in long sleeves like a Midwest October. I’m ever grateful to the gentleman that passed me his hooded sweatshirt.

Today’s research facility was Peak Plant Genetics. I found fascinating the differences in the way the researchers mark their plots and study them. For instance, look at the ‘yellow’ lines between these plots. It made them so easy to see and compare. Here the cultivars are in the ground instead of tubes in the greenhouse. They sort of looked like green spaceships all over the field to me. And, do you see those guys around the table? They’re testing a piece of sod for strength. How many psi does it take before it rips apart? Strength is of utmost importance for sod farmers, as you can imagine.

We talked again about genetic purity. These cultivars are being tested and studied in a makeshift room of cereal rye. Do you see the walls around the outer perimeter? That keeps the pollen from other grasses from contaminating the cultivars. I laughed out loud at this quote from Peak’s Director of Research, Steve Johnson, about finding the best, strongest cultivars and breeding them, “We discriminate for a living out here.”

While at Peak, we got to hear about the Rose Bowl field from Will Schnell, the head groundskeeper. What an honor to be able to learn more about what it takes to manage a professional field where a few events take place each week. From commercials, to corporate events, to games, to concerts, this man’s job keeps him on his toes. The grass on the field now is provided by Mountain View Seed, one of our many friends in the biz.

The rest of the afternoon was spent at Pure Seed where Crystal, Lucas and their crew are testing shade tolerance and salt tolerance, among many other things. They’re really making great strides with both and it was cool to compare some of last year’s subjects to this year. We also heard from one of their researchers that’s been working on growing grass in Dubai, a monumental task.

Friday, we made a stop to check on some wildflowers and then we were off to knock some bucket list items. First, we just had to hike/walk to the top of Mary’s Peak. We were totally unprepared for the 45 degree temp at 4000 feet, but we powered through anyway. We were so glad we took the time.

From there, we took the most winding and scenic mountain drive to the coast. Check out the covered bridge and river we discovered along the way.

Once we hit the coast, it was up a ways to see Seal Rock. Guess what? It was sunny and 80 degrees there. No jackets needed! Just beautiful! We continued to follow Hwy 101 south and stop at points of interest. We found some great beaches and lookouts and eventually found Cape Perpetua, home to Thor’s Well. (Actually it’s called several other things, but I read about it as Thor’s Well, so we’re going with it.)

Our exploring came to an end in Eugene, Oregon, where we got to visit with our son again and check out this interesting city. If you ever are in the area, you MUST spend some time at their Saturday market. The produce was unbelievable and the entertainment was varied and fun with lots of street performers doing what they do best.

Our brains were totally full and we were exhausted after about 70,000 steps for the week. Whew! Thanks for another enjoyable time, Oregon. I still heart you.

Several times a week, an agent or friend tells me how they’d love to have a job like mine.

In their minds, I receive the benefit of the fun of real estate sales without having to get into the nitty gritty part of showing or listing homes. I get to sit at my desk all day and check contracts, talk and laugh with the agents and walk through beautiful properties whenever I want. All for a salary!!! Heck, why not?

Ha!

I love my job. I love what I do for my people. I love the good and the bad days. It’s perfect for me. That being said, it isn’t perfect for everyone. Not only has the industry evolved, management has been forced to evolve as well. If you’re going to lead a real estate office you’re going to need a wide range of skills in order to compete in the marketplace. (And we’re all competing. We’re competing to be the best office, to be the top selling office, some want to be the largest office, the most fun office, the most skilled office, etc)

It’s definitely not what it used to be…and that’s a good thing.

Essentially the job is the same, but there is so much more to it now. For example, in the past, it didn’t matter if the managing broker of the office could cook. Well, these days, with social media, everyone is sharing how their broker made them the ‘best breakfast’ for sales meeting. They’ve upped the ante and you either become that great or you overcompensate with something else. When was the last time an employee at a 9-5 job walked into their manager’s office and asked them how to fix their cell phone? It’s happening every single day in the real estate world. How about the conversations about the best ways to advertise a new listing on Facebook? Is your broker comfortable with digital signatures, digital contracts and all sorts of digital communication? Well, today, they have to be. How much time do most people spend researching new apps geared towards their profession? Most brokers I know spend an incredible amount of time on research.

When you place all of that on top of an already intense career, you’ll find what a tremendous amount of passion one needs in order to WANT to stay in a position like this. Yes, it’s 24/7 (almost, I utilize the Do Not Disturb on my phone). It doesn’t have to be 24/7, but you are responsible for the actions of your agents. When they have a question, I fully intend to answer it quickly in order to stay out of trouble.

Yes, it can be stressful. A home is usually the largest purchase most people make in their lives, so transactions can get tense quickly. Plus, managers are dealing with independent contractors, not employees. So there’s suggestions and best practices, but no orders to be followed.

Yes, it’s really fun. There isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t laugh hysterically at something. Plus, the diversity of getting to do something different every single day is fabulous.

Overall, it’s consistently intense and busy. I find I enjoy the challenges and the way the days seem to really fly by. I have a passion for it, though, do you?

Are you ready to lead?

Does the grass look a little less green to you now because these things seem over the top or outside of your job description? It’s a lot to think about. I’m always happy to discuss this type of career with anyone that’s interested. Please don’t hesitate to ask.

In an incredible display of heart, drive, athleticism, teamwork and sheer will; the good guys won.

I’m not a baseball fan. The heat and the time commitment involved in loving baseball just aren’t for me. However, for the second October in a row, I found myself dressing in blue, rearranging plans for games and screaming at the television wherever I could find one during the games. (I even had a superstition about the fact that they won every time I worked out over lunch–lost 5 pounds!) I don’t really feel like I have to be a baseball fan to be a head over heels, and super sleepy, fan of the Royals. To me, they’re not just a baseball team. They’re a culture.

The Royals have brought everyone in Kansas City together for many years, but these last two have really been something to stop and notice. What I love about watching them is how they all lead. There isn’t one player that is singled out game after game, it’s everyone. They own their own mistakes, don’t place blame on their teammates and they celebrate their victories as one. I can’t even count how many times I’ve been listening to 610AM or watching interviews and games with tears in my eyes. The moment I was most proud was during Moose’s pregame Game 4 interview. The reporter was trying to reel him into showing some anger over the Noah Snydergaard comment about throwing Escobar off his game by pitching at his head. Sure, it was intentional. I watched Moose with this reporter with so much pride. Two times Moose repeated his statement about how it was over and they just needed to come back and win. Again the reporter tried to rile him with, “How do you retaliate?” Moose shrugs his shoulders and says, “Win.”

This should be the story the kids hear over and over again in locker rooms throughout the country. This is class. Sportsmanship.

Being a part of something so huge in a city filled with fans is simply indescribable. You high-five people you don’t even know at the bar. You find every way possible to listen or watch the 3pm games at the office. You encourage your dog to bark just because it sounds a bit similar to “Let’s Go Royals”. Half the trick or treaters in Kansas City were in their favorite Royals uniform. Cueto, Salvy, Hoz, Cain, Davis, Moose, Esky—everyone has their favorite. I’ve picked a couple of favorites. I really dig Cain’s reach, speed and ability to steal a base. How about Dyson’s speed? And Salvy, what a smile. How about Hoz? Always rallying in the dugout. The example Zobrist and his wife have set for married couples everywhere. How about the pain we all felt as Eddie, Moose and Young mourned their parents? These guys aren’t heroes—they wouldn’t want to be called that. They just love the game of baseball. But, as a team, they have represented Kansas City to the world and to children everywhere with dignity. In and out of the spotlight, they’ve provided a shining example of how games are supposed to be played and teams are supposed to act.

So, my story from last night will forever live with me and it probably blends in with so many others. I was ready to stay home, eat dinner, drink my wine and lay on the couch to watch the game. But, there was another plan. One friend says to another and then to my husband who repeated to me something that hit home….”Is this where you want to be when the Royals win the World Series?” No, it wasn’t. I have to admit that being in a room full of people when they took the crown was amazing. I’m not a party on a school night person and I was not going to have wasted a trip and a relaxing night at home—so I yelled. And yelled. And clapped. And jumped up and down. We weren’t going down like this. We were going to take the crown in game 5. Period.

It’s been an awesome time to be a Kansas Citian. Thanks Royals, for being you and for another beautiful Blue oKCtober. We heart you.

So, you look out at your lawn and you see some bare spots. You run to your nearest Westlake, Lowe’s, Home Depot store and buy the grass seed on the shelf. The bag might say things like “Heat Tolerant” or “Sun & Shade” or “Dense Shade”, etc. You pick the product, run home and toss it on your lawn. Presto, with a little love, you have new baby grasses.

Like you, I had no idea what went into putting those labels on the bags and getting them on the shelves….until last week. I was honored to accompany my hubby (Williams Lawn Seed) on a live show and tell trip to Oregon. For 4 days, I was a mile deep in the lawn seed business, and it was incredible. Continue reading →

I’ve been in the real estate market almost 15 years now and I’ve never witnessed a market like Kansas City is experiencing this year. We’ve been talking for months about the inventory shortage and low interest rates. What this has created is a plethora of difficulties in the real estate world. I feel like so many people are still trying to ‘go it alone’ when it comes to buying and selling and I worry, especially right now, they may be in over their heads. When people that aren’t being represented run into issues, the first person they tend to call is a REALTOR to ask their advice. This has been happening more and more, and most often, the agent will give a small piece of advice and then bow out unless they’re going to be hired to represent the deal. These situations have been common lately—are you prepared to handle them on your own?

1. Buyer bidding wars. Are you ready with your offer on paper? What will the market bear in this neighborhood, how high can you bid? What are the risks involved with going over asking price? What items can help strengthen your offer?

2. Seller remorse. A seller puts their home on the market and sells it on the first day. Some sellers are ecstatic, others are unprepared to move quickly and may think they under-priced their home. How do you deal with this? How can you help the seller feel more comfortable?

3. Low appraisal. What can happen when the appraisal comes in under contract price after a bidding war? What are your options as a buyer? What are the sellers options?

4. Backup offers and inspections. When there’s a bidding war and the ‘losing’ party still wants the house, they have the option of putting in a backup offer that will take over if the winning offer falls through. This can usually happen during inspections. What can the winning party do to keep the offer together instead of having the seller just balk and go to the next buyer?

5. Buyer remorse. Buyers today can feel like they were rushed into making an offer because of the low inventory, then feel like they overpaid. What can sellers do to keep the buyer on the line when they’re feeling some of that remorse creep in?

As you can see….You’re (most likely) Going to Need Help when buying or selling right now. Hiring a REALTOR skilled in negotiations with a calm demeanor can make all the difference. It’s an interesting market out there and I really would advise everyone to seriously consider hiring someone to help guide you through your transaction.

I went to the grocery store the other day; a task I’ve skipped for a few weeks due to working on our daughter’s wedding plans. As I was thinking through dinner plans and remembering how much I/we love to cook, I remembered the event that brought my family around the table several years ago. Our son was young, he’s 22 now, and he was throwing some sort of tantrum about dinner. I was fixing them a quick frozen meal, AGAIN. In his tantrum, he mentioned that all he wanted was for us all to sit around the dinner table and have dinner like a family. Wow. Being a mom that really cared about my kids, I thought I was doing a pretty good job handling the kids, the sports, the job, the household, etc. After all, I was making sure their basic needs were met, right?

Well, here’s my kid telling me one basic need wasn’t being fulfilled. The ordinary family dinner. There’s something to be said for this turning point. My hubby and I rediscovered our love of cooking while the kids found theirs. And I’m not kidding, my kids are skilled cooks now. Around the table, we talked, sometimes we argued, but we always made a point to do this one activity together several times a week. It wasn’t so much about what we were having as it was about the act of making time for each other.

After all this time has passed, I was reflecting on what this simple family activity actually DID and found myself comparing sitting around the table to finding the right home. You see, to my son, having us all together may have felt like a warm, caring hug. That’s exactly the feeling people are looking for when they’re choosing a home. To them, it should feel like togetherness. The right home will feel like a warm hug. Most of the time, buyers will forego several details of what they wanted in a dream home when they find the house that promises a future of family dinners and movie nights. That happy future is way more important than a fenced backyard.

Sellers, you never know when there’s someone in that buyer’s family wishing for that kind of family time. Appeal to the dream. Help them picture themselves around the table.

The end of the year always causes us to reflect on our lives and I’m knee deep in reflection this year. Looking back I feel like I lost some of my spirit this past year. It’s not as if I didn’t give my work 110% of myself-I always have worked hard. It’s more like my sparkle dulled a little.

There were several job offers, which should have been flattering, but they succeeded in making me realize I wasn’t in a position they respected. I was ‘gettable’.

Being loyal to the core, this was really hard for me. Honestly, the last thing I want to do is change jobs or companies. However, if my people weren’t getting my sparkle, would they be better off without me?
The first thing I had to address was my sparkle. Where had it gone? Was it simply lost forever?

Every single one of us is susceptible to simply maintaining the status quo. Anything can get you there. A rude comment, blown out of proportion can rock your world for days. Or being treated unfairly by someone you respect. Some don’t have the ability to rise above these things. The smallest thing can be detrimental to the strongest of souls. There is a point that takes you to the intersection of giving up and making a drastic change.

Second, I need to G.Y.S.T. (get my stuff together) I’d encourage anyone at this point to step back and look at things from a different viewpoint. Question everything. Why have you chosen this path (or has this path chosen you)? What purpose have you served? Where was your passion directed?

My friend, Laurie Davis, posted this quote the other day and it sliced to my core. “One of the most courageous decisions you’ll ever make is to let go of what is hurting your heart and soul.”—Brigitte Nicole.
In my opinion, you have to consciously decide to get up in the morning and change your mind. This was my third and final step. Change my mind. Let go of everything.

I feel like I have it easy. I love my people. They inspire as well as challenge me and all the reward I need is to nurture their success. There it is. Therein lies the sparkle.

The end of 2014 was a gift. A self reassessment of sorts. My future is bright and clear. I’ll continue doing what I love and keep giving every ounce of myself to it.

After studying the market activity for September in Clay County and Platte County, I can’t say that I’m surprised, this has been an impressive year for home sales overall. Sales are still up over last year, even this late in the year. A couple of factors I thought were affecting the numbers don’t seem to be as important as I thought. All of our Kansas City sports teams are playing their hearts out on the field and people are going to the games in masses. This leaves us to wonder if anyone is buying homes. Well, apparently they are!

First up, Clay County. For September 2013 we saw unit closed sales at 327 which have increased in 2014 to 355. Prices are up a little as well. The average sales price for September 2013 was $165,682 increasing to $176,723 for 2014. Inventory-wise we’re remaining fairly balanced with 5.45 months of homes available. Contracts are being negotiated to an average of 97.8% of full asking price.* Not bad at all!

Platte County’s unit sales are even with last year at 120 for September with an overall increase of 3% in sales year to date. Average sales prices keep rising and are up to $205,636, an increase of 6.9% over last year. Platte County’s inventory has tipped slightly towards a buyer’s market with 6.21 months of inventory available.*

Right now, interest rates are still surprisingly low, even though we’ve been hearing they’re expected to rise any day. Buyers are still getting great deals! As we always talk about, every single home and subdivision can be different. Be sure to check the stats specific to you before making a decision to list or buy.

Meta

The Gist

Joanna jumped into the real estate business in 2000 and never looked back. A glance through her resume would have anyone confused because she’s actually never left the company with which she started. Change in the market and changes in ownership and locations have filled her 13 years in the real estate world. Change is a scary word for some, but Joanna has embraced it with courage and made the decision to not only survive, but to thrive. To break it down Prudential Snook was sold to Prudential Carter-Duffey in 2006, which was sold to Prudential Kansas City in 2009, which then rebranded themselves with a new franchise (Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate) in late 2012. Her personal motto is ‘Consistent Pursuit of Improvement’, which is clear in her dedication to her company, people and local real estate association.